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How Dan Carter's Kobelco Steelers are setting the new standard in Japanese rugby
The Kobe region in Japan is internationally renowned for its exceptionally high quality (and equally as expensive) cuts of beef, but soon the region’s local rugby team could be the talk of the world thanks to how quickly they’re developing into a titanic force.
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The Kobelco Steelers, based in Kobe and owned by Kobe Steel, were the first-ever winners of the Top League, Japan’s national competition.
The tournament kicked off in 2003 and was contested by twelve teams scattered across Japan – all owned by some of biggest and most well-known companies in Japan, including the Toshiba, Ricoh, Suntory and Yamaha.
The Steelers finished on top of the table come the season’s end and were crowned Top League champions – but it was going to be a long time between drinks for the people of Kobe.
The league has expanded throughout the years – both in size and scope, with sixteen teams now taking part. Whilst the tournament has remained only semi-professional, the calibre of players has changed considerably.
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That’s no more obvious than at the Steelers, where superstars from across the globe have now come together to form one of the fiercest sides in the competition.
Kobelco have had their fair share of once-internationals throughout the years, with men such as former All Black Ron Cribb and former Springbok Peter Grant becoming fan favourites.
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Daisuke Ohata also played his club rugby for the Steelers – a man most people will know as the fastest player in EA’s Rugby 06 and Rugby 08 titles.
In the real world, however, Ohata holds the record for most tries scored at Test level, with 69 scored over 58 appearances for the Japanese national side. Admittedly, a big chunk of those tries were bagged against the likes of Hong Kong and Korea – but the record still stands.
Despite a smattering of international talent, the Kobe-based side weren’t able to consistently challenge the best teams in the Top League – the likes of Toshiba Brave Lupus and, more recently, Suntory Sungoliath and Panasonic Wild Knights.
Those three sides have now shared fourteen out of the Top League’s sixteen titles to date.
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Meanwhile, the Steelers were just lucky to sneak into playoffs, often finishing 5th or 6th, and usually getting dealt to by those bigger teams when they did manage to get to the finals.
Then came 2018, where the club went through a considerable overhaul.
Out went head coach Jim McKay, who had been at the helm for two years. McKay, who was an assistant coach with Ewen McKenzie for the Reds and the Wallabies, had overseen a 4th and a 6th place finish for the Steelers – fairly par for the course, but evidently not quite what Kobelco were looking for.
In came one of the greatest coaching minds in the world, Wayne Smith, in a new role as Director of Rugby.
One of France's biggest clubs wants to recruit one of the big Japan stars from the 2019 World Cup
https://t.co/qvZQVqPWLo— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 15, 2020
To some, he’s the Professor; to others, he’s the Oracle, but whatever way you look at it, Smith is going to help take your club places.
His CV is unrivalled: Two Super Rugby titles as head coach of the Crusaders, two World Cup wins and an 85% win record as assistant coach of the All Blacks, and two Super Rugby titles as Dave Rennie’s right-hand man at the Chiefs.
Alongside Smith came new head coach Dave Dillon, who had most recently been an assistant with another Top League side, the NEC Green Rockets.
It wasn’t just the management team that got an overhaul, however.
The @Sunwolves have once again opted for a number of foreign players in their @SuperRugby squad – and it's not going to do them any favours with SAANZAR, writes @TomVinicombe. https://t.co/rjILxrltIB#SuperRugby #Sunwolves #Awoooo
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 27, 2019
Highlanders Tom Franklin and Richard Buckman, as well as sharpshooter Hayden Parker, all joined the Steelers’ cause.
They also made a handy acquisition in the form of one Dan Carter.
Results were immediate, with Kobelco going undefeated throughout the 2018-2019 regular season – their only blemish being a 26-all draw with Toyota Verblitz, the club that recently brought in both Steve Hansen and Kieran Read.
It wasn’t just the newbies who were carrying the load though.
Expats Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Vant Leven, Grant Hattingh, Fraser Anderson and co-captain Andy Ellis played a big part in the Steelers’ success, whilst local talents Isieli Nakajima (who made a massive impact at the 2019 World Cup for Japan), Hiroshi Yamashita and Ryohei Yamanaka all had major roles in the successful season.
The likes of Carter and Buckman – alongside the direction of Smith and Dillon – just gave Kobelco that extra edge they needed to take them from the nearly-men of the Top League to table toppers.
After the successful round-robin, expectations were rightfully high in Kobe – but the Steelers would still have to navigate a finals pool comprising former champions Suntory and Panasonic.
As it turned out, even the slightest bit of trepidation Kobelco fans may have had was completely unnecessary.
The Steelers scorched through the playoffs, crushing the Ricoh Black Rams 63-27, avenging their earlier draw against Toyota 31-19, then ending 14 long years of heartache by absolutely demolishing previous champions Suntory 55-5.
@TomVinicombe had the opportunity to talk to former Waikato, Chiefs and New Zealand player @RichieKahui in the lead up to the World Cup – here's the final piece on the devastating defender. https://t.co/C7OthtcdPh#AllBlacks @ChiefsRugby @WaikatoRugby @AllBlacks
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 24, 2019
Just to really assert their dominance, Kobelco then went on to win the 2019-2020 Top League pre-season competition, the Top League Cup, belting the Kubota Spears 43-7 in the final.
Kobelco haven’t rested on their laurels, however, and made some handy acquisitions in the off-season.
Their most well-publicised pick-up, of course, is All Black Brodie Retallick – arguably the best second-rower in world rugby – who will spend the next two Top League season in Kobe.
The mammoth man has made an instant impact with the Steelers, running in for a try against Canon Eagles in last weekend’s 50-16 drubbing to kick off the year.
Unlike the 2019 round-robin, which was heavily condensed due to the Rugby World Cup, the Top League will run for a full 15-week regular season this year, which will give Retallick, Carter and co plenty of opportunities to show off their talents.
The Top League has gone to another level.
This is frankly silly.
https://t.co/nzmXtWmo3P— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 17, 2019
Whilst it would be entirely premature to suggest Kobelco will canter away to another title, it’s hard to look past Wayne Smith and Dave Dillon’s impressively put together squad.
From spending over a decade flailing around the middle of the table to recording an undefeated season, the Kobelco Steelers have paved the way for a new era of domination.
The Top League’s first and most-recent champions are certainly the team to beat in 2020.
Kobelco’s upcoming match with Yamaha Jubilo will be streamable live on RugbyPass for all subscribers at 1PM JST on Saturday, January 18th.
WATCH: Check out all the highlights from the first round of the 2020 Top League season.
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments